


Look Towards the Mountains when You Flee the Desert

by 6Space_Witch9



Series: Uno-Reverso-Verse [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Clairvoyant Shmi Skywalker, Force Visions (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Shmi Skywalker, Gen, Healthy Relationships, Jedi Culture Respected, Jedi Maul (Star Wars), Master & Padawan Relationship(s), Mentioned Dathomir, Padawan Anakin Skywalker, Shmi Skywalker Lives, Sith Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tatooine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28981644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/6Space_Witch9/pseuds/6Space_Witch9
Summary: Tatooine is just as miserable as he remembers it being 6 months ago, but Anakin shrieks with joy as Owen picks him up and spins him around as they play in the sand of the Lars property. A quaint little farm, but he knows this family isn’t safe from the danger that the desert planet holds, and they wouldn’t be, not until they leave Tatooine far behind.Anakin and Maul return to Tatooine, he tells Shmi what she already knows, a plan is set into motion for a better future.He won't fail anyone else.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Shmi Skywalker, Cliegg Lars/Shmi Skywalker, Darth Maul & Anakin Skywalker, Darth Maul & Shmi Skywalker, Owen Lars & Anakin Skywalker
Series: Uno-Reverso-Verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082363
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	Look Towards the Mountains when You Flee the Desert

Tatooine is just as miserable as he remembers it being 6 months ago, but Anakin shrieks with joy as Owen picks him up and spins him around as they play in the sand of the Lars property. A quaint little farm, but he knows this family isn’t safe from the danger that the desert planet holds, and they wouldn’t be, not until they leave Tatooine far behind.

He's inclined to believe that Anakin’s visions hold more truth than any of the dreams of a regular nine-year-old boy missing home. He has learned over the years of his life to never ignore the messages shouted down by the force.

The sand sprays in wild waves around the boys as they wrestle, joy sings from Anakin’s signature and it tells him that he has made the right choice in bringing Anakin home for a visit. The boy needed to learn to let his mother go on his own terms, he needed to see that he could live his own life knowing his mother was safe and happy.

Ripping the boy away would probably only have him believing that the only way to keep people close was to possess them completely, and he knows all to well where unhealthy obsession leads. No, he wouldn’t lead the boy astray. He has to show Anakin that even when he leaves, the people of his past will still welcome him with open arms, that they will always have a place for him, that he won’t be abandoned with the passing of time. He has to carefully unprogrammed years of slavery and abuse, but he will keep Anakin on the right path until his last breath.

The red-haired man with vicious yellow eyes has been haunting him. Hanging just out of his reach in his dreams and meditations, but he is always there, staring, stalking him with a deranged grin as he shouts soundlessly at him.

The Sith is dead, he’s sure of it.

The boys are acting out a dramatic fight and he smirks under the shade of his cloak, he thinks he had brothers once. He wonders about them sometimes, he wonders what became of them. In a way, he doesn’t want to know. Choosing to keep the vague memories of fondness and joy sacred rather than tainting them with the knowledge that he gets to live free, that he had been saved while his brother become meagre sacrifices or mates for the Nightsisters to breed with. He wonders if they ever look up at the stars wondering if one day that he will return, or maybe he has faded from their memories.

He was the lucky one, he wonders if his brothers resent him for leaving them behind. He ever wonders if he’ll ever have the grit to ask Master Fay why she didn’t take his brothers with them, were they not good enough? Not worthy enough?

A gentle hand on his shoulder startles him out of his deep thinking.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You’ve been out here for a while and I thought you might be thirsty after being under that hood all this time.” Shmi says softly as she offers him a canteen of water.

He’s parched, he’s never been a fan of white, but the colour would definitely serve him better to ward off the heat rather than his usual shades of grey.

“Thank you Shmi, this is much appreciated.” Maul says with a grateful nod of his head.

“I should be thanking you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Anakin this happy before.” Shmi says with a soft smile on her face, Cliegg is talking to the boys and they nod their heads excitedly with big earnest eyes.

“You raised a caring boy Shmi, he would not be who he is today if it were not for you. I am merely here to guide him so that he learns to control his powers and make the right choices.” Maul says, taking another sip from his canteen.

Shmi laughs ruefully.

“Don’t be so humble Maul, Anakin adores you, I know he wants to be just like you, I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts getting tattoos the moment he’s old enough.” Shmi says tapping the black lines of ink on the back of his hand.

“That would be quite a sight…” Maul says, a rush of something fills his chest, knowing Anakin looks up to him with adoration rather than out of fear.

“But you didn’t come here for just a simple visit did you…?” Shmi asks carefully as they watch the boys stroll behind Cliegg to the water processors down the property.

“No…Anakin has been having visions…About your death, I don’t believe Tatooine is safe for you or your family anymore.” Maul says slowly as Shmi’s mouth tightens into a grim line.

The twin suns are setting, casting an orange-red hue over the landscape and the stars start to spark to life in the vast night sky. In a way Tatooine is beautiful, but he has never lived here, the sands have never battered his skin raw, the sun has never burnt his flesh into a bubbling mess, he has never known the cruelty of others here, he can admire the silent beauty of the planet just for the moment with never understanding the hardships.

Just for the moment, he can pretend that it is just him and the stars.

Finally, Shmi speaks, he has no need to rush her, as she’s obviously struggling to form her thoughts into words as he bites her bottom lip in concentration, they have nowhere to be, so he waits patiently.

“I too, have been having dreams of an attack, creatures rip Owen and Cliegg from our home and I am all alone as they beat me, over and over, in my dream I know they are dead, and I know I will die too. Before, I thought my dreams had only been nightmares, even as a little girl I would always dream of things to come. But now, with Anakin off with the Jedi and his abilities so similar, my dreams make more sense…” Shmi trails off, looking lost, deep frown lines marring her face, frown and worry lines that should have never been there to begin with.

Once is a coincidence, twice was a pattern. Maul knows for certain now that the Lars-Skywalker family can no longer stay on Tatooine, it would be signing a death sentence.

“You can no longer stay on Tatooine…” Maul tells her again.

“I know, I know…. I have not told Cliegg of my dreams, he would fly into a rage and probably get himself killed and what of Owen? Tatooine is all he has ever known, I don’t know how he will react to leaving. The galaxy his filled to the brim with cruelty and strife, where would we go that would ever be safe for us Maul?” Shmi asks bitterly.

Typical of Shmi to think of others before herself, Anakin is almost a direct reflection.

“I understand your sentiments, but I do believe I may have a solution, I have an old friend on Alderaan, he has enough space for you and your family to stay until figure out what you want to do. It’s much safer than Tatooine will ever be and I know Anakin will rest easy knowing that you're far away from the Hutts and Watto…. There is also a Jedi Temple on Alderaan, you can choose to reach out to them if you would like to understand your power better.” He tells her, he would have to call in a favour to Bail and Breha and help the little desert family pack their lives up, but he’s accomplished harder tasks.

He hadn’t chosen Alderaan at random, it was safe, it had a Jedi presence, it was close to Coruscant, it had an expansive agriculture industry and Owen would be able to attend proper schools. They would be able to rebuild their lives there, he’s sure of it.

He couldn’t ignore the visions, he couldn’t let the dark, twisted future come to fruition, he can’t, he won’t. It’s his duty as a Jedi to protect as many people as he possibly can, even as he failed to save Qui-Gon he can still help the little desert family, they still had time and so much life to live.

He will show Anakin all the great a single Jedi could do so that he will never repeat any of his mistakes.

“I’ve always wanted to visit Alderaan, it always seems so beautiful in the holos. As for the Jedi Temple, I do think I am far too old to restart my life anew and if I may being honest Maul, I am quite satisfied living as a simple farmer, I am good at what I do and I have no urge to run off into deep space to cut down corruption. But, I do want to learn control, I don’t want to hurt my family.” Shmi admits.

“Of course, a force-user doesn’t have to follow the ways of the Jedi, but they will not turn you away if you ask for help. Come let us go see what Cliegg and the boys are up too, there is much to do if you’ll be departing with us at the end of the week.” Maul says as rises smoothly, holding out his hand for her slender one to slide into his palm, she’s basically weightless as he lifts her to her feet.

Alderaan would feed her better, Anakin’s vision that left him crying in the dead of night would stop and maybe, just maybe the soundless Sith would disappear as well.

There is always room to hope for miracles.

As they walk down the property the sand is cool as it brushes over the gaps in his sandals as he slides through the night with his quiet company. The stars twist into a dazzling display of twinkling light above them and he can’t help but be amazed.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? I love it out here.” Shmi says quietly.

While a plan has been set into place, the danger has not passed, anything could happen, yet he enjoys the peace as it is.

“It really is quite a marvellous sight.” He agrees softly.  
  



End file.
